AP70/AP80 Operator Manual ENGLISH
Preface Disclaimer As Navico is continuously improving this product, we retain the right to make changes to the product at any time which may not be reflected in this version of the manual. Please contact your nearest distributor if you require any further assistance. It is the owner’s sole responsibility to install and use the equipment in a manner that will not cause accidents, personal injury or property damage. The user of this product is solely responsible for observing safe boating practices.
Warranty The warranty card is supplied as a separate document. In case of any queries, refer to the our websites: pro.simrad-yachting.com and www.simrad-yachting.com. About this manual This manual is a reference guide for operating the Simrad AP70 and AP80 Autopilot Systems. The manual will be continuously updated to match new software releases. The latest available manual version can be downloaded from our web sites.
Contents 5 Introduction 5 6 8 The front panel and keys The screen Operational mode overview 9 Basic operation 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 12 12 Safe operation with the autopilot Using an external system selector to control autopilot operation External follow-up override Turning the autopilot system on/off The menus Dialog boxes Display illumination Taking command Selecting autopilot modes Switching from automatic mode to hand steering Selecting work profiles Acknowledging a message Working with thrus
4| 42 Maintenance 42 42 42 43 43 43 Preventive maintenance Simple maintenance procedures Restoring factory default settings Software upgrades Backing up your system data File management 44 Menu overview 44 45 The Quick menus The settings dialog and submenus 47 System configuration 47 47 47 48 52 58 60 General The settings dialog and submenus Turning on for the first time Network settings Installation settings Seatrials Tuning the autopilot for optimum steering performance 62 List of display abb
The front panel and keys 1 2 3 5 STBY 8 * AUTO NAV MENU TURN WORK 3 4 6 7 14* 12* ALARM CMD ALARM 1 Introduction 9 10 11 12* 13* Available on AP80 control units only. No. Key/Description 1 CMD/THRUSTER. A short press takes/requests command. A long press (3 seconds) activates/deactivates available thrusters 2 MENU. A short press displays the active steering mode’s quick menu. A second click displays the Settings menu 3 POWER/LIGHT. A short press displays the Light dialog.
The screen 1 4 2 3 5 6 7 1 Heading repeater Analog and digital heading readout. Digital readout is shown with one decimal if true heading. In automatic modes the difference between current and set heading is red for port, green for starboard deviation. Current heading Rate indicator Heading repeater unit (True or Magnetic) Set heading Steering reference 2 Mode Info panel The panel contains mode specific content and varies with the operational mode.
3 Rudder bar Rudder position indicator with digital and analog readout. The digital readout shows 1 bar per 1° rudder angle up to 40°. Rudder angle above 40° will have a non-linear indication in the outer left/right part of the bar. Direction indicators are turning red (port) and green (starboard) when rudder movement is commanded. The direction arrows are only shown when rudder feedback is available.
5 Dialogs Used for user input or for presenting information to the user. A dialog may be presented in full-screen or as an overlay. Depending on type of information or entry, different keys are used to confirm, cancel and close the dialog. A dialog can always be closed by selecting the Close/Cancel dialog key, or by pressing the PORT key. 6 Quick menus Mode dependant menu, displayed by pressing the MENU key. The Quick menus contain the most common used settings for the active mode.
Basic operation 2 Safe operation with the autopilot Warning: An autopilot is a useful navigational aid, but DOES NOT under any circumstances replace a human navigator.
Turning the autopilot system on/off You turn ON the autopilot system on by a short press on the POWER key when this is red light colored. The system is turned OFF (Sleep mode) by pressing and holding the POWER key on an active control unit. During the shut-down procedure the system will automatically go to Standby mode before it is turned off. If the POWER key is released before shut-down is completed, the power off is cancelled. Note: The POWER key will remain lit on units that are turned OFF.
Day/Night illumination A night illumination option is included. This optimizes the color palette for low light conditions. You switch between Day and Night illumination mode from the Light dialog. White is the default background color on display and keys for Day illumination, while red is used for Night. You can select which of these colors you want to use. Note: The brightness level are adjusted independently for day and night illumination.
Switching from automatic mode to hand steering You can switch the autopilot to Standby mode from any operational mode by a short press on the STBY key. Selecting work profiles The autopilot can be set up with 6 different work profiles associated with different work modes or various crew members preferences. 1. Press the WORK key to open the Work dialog 2. Repeat pressing the WORK key or use the rotary knob to select preferred profile 3.
Activating and de-activating thrusters You can manually toggle thrusters on/off by pressing and holding the CMD key. A popup with slide bar will be displayed as long as the key is pressed. The slider moves from hiding to showing (or opposite) the thruster symbols. Thruster(s) ON Slider moving Thruster(s) OFF Thruster presentation When thrusters are installed, the thruster status icon and the thruster information in the mode info panel are as shown below.
3 Delegation of control in multiple station systems Steering stations An autopilot system with multiple stations can be set up with different steering stations (SimNet group settings - Station). This setting is done during installation of the system, and the separate autopilot Installation manual details how to define SimNet groups. The SimNet group Station settings determines lock/unlock and command transfer principle between active and passive control units.
2. Accept the command request on the active unit - All passive units will be opened for command transfer, indicated as below - The lock function will be de-activated, and the lock symbol removed from all units Passive units 3. Take command on selected remote unit Master systems The international standard for heading control systems (ISO 11674/16329) requires controlled command transfer when remote stations are provided.
Defining a Master system A master station is usually defined and units assigned to the master station during system setup. Refer to the separate autopilot installation manual for details. Note: When a SimNet group Station is set to Master, one control unit in this steering station has to be defined as the Master unit as shown below.
Taking command from a locked unit in a Master system 1. Press the CMD key on a locked station - A dialog will be shown on the unit requesting command - A command request dialog will be shown on the master unit Passive unit requesting command Active unit accepting command request 2. Accept the command request on the master unit - The requesting remote will now be opened for command transfer. All other units will remain locked 3.
4 The operational modes Mode overview The autopilot has several steering modes. Number of modes and features within the mode depend on available input as shown below. MODE FEATURE DESCRIPTION REQUIRED INPUT STBY Standby mode used when manually steering at the helm.
Hand steering Standby mode Standby mode is used when you steer at the helm. The autopilot will always be in this mode when you turn the system on. • Switch the autopilot to Standby mode from any operation by a short press on the STBY key. The Standby mode info panel A. HDG: Current heading and Header repeater unit (True or Magnetic) A B B. COG: Course over ground C. SOG: Speed over ground - If SOG is missing, the speed info will be taken from log (STW).
Source selection Gives access to automatic and manual source selection menus. Source setup is done on initial start up of the system. It is also required to run the source selection if any part of the network has been changed or replaced. See the separate AP70/AP80 Installation manual for more details. Automatic source selection The Auto Select option will look for all sources connected to the network.
Immediate heading change Set heading is adjusted by turning the rotary knob (press and rotate simultaneously if the Turn Preset function is activated), or by pressing the PORT or STBD keys. An immediate heading change will take place, also if the heading change is more than 180°. The new heading will be maintained until a new heading is set. Temporary course changes If you need to avoid an obstacle when in AUTO mode, you can press the STBY key and power steer or use the helm until the obstacle is passed.
Activating the turn preset function 1. Press the TURN key 2. Tick on the Turn preset option in the Turn Settings dialog Using turn preset 1. Select AUTO or NoDrift mode 2. Turn the rotary knob to display the Turn preset dialog 3. Set new heading/course, radius and turn type as required in the dialog AUTO mode NoDrift mode 4.
Heading capture When the vessel is turning in AUTO or NoDrift mode an instant press on the rotary knob activates the heading capture feature. This will automatically cancel a turn, and the vessel will continue on the heading read from the compass the very moment you pressed the knob. U-turn pattern steering The autopilot includes an automatic U-turn steering feature in AUTO and NoDrift mode. The U-Turn changes the current set course to be 180° in the opposite direction.
The NAV mode info panel A B C D E F G H A. DTW: Distance to next waypoint B. WPT: Waypoint name C. XTD: Cross Track Distance D. Vessel position relative to leg line E. CTS: Course to steer (set heading calculated by the autopilot) F. BWW: Bearing to next waypoint G. COG: Course over ground H. SOG: Speed over ground - If SOG is missing, the speed info will be taken from log (STW).
Start navigating 1. Start navigating a route on your chart system 2. Press the NAV (AP70) or TRACK key (AP80) on the autopilot 3. Accept the waypoint as the location to steer towards to activate the navigational mode - If the waypoint is not accepted within 8 seconds, the dialog will be removed and the autopilot will remain in active mode Red or green arrow symbol in the dialog indicates required course change direction.
Controlling steering performance in automatic and navigational modes The Quick menus Some parameters might be adjusted during operation to suit you personal preferences in auto and navigation modes. The parameters are available in the quick menus, accessed by pressing the MENU key. Quick menu - AUTO mode Quick menu - NAV mode Track response (NoDrift and NAV mode) Defines how fast the autopilot shall respond after having registered a cross track distance.
Perform various course changes and observe how the boat settles on the new heading. Start with small changes, 10-20 degrees, and proceed with bigger changes, 60-90 degrees. Adjust Counter rudder value to obtain best possible response as in illustration C. Note: As many boats turns differently to port versus starboard (due to propeller rotation direction), do the course changes in both directions.
5 Work profile setup A work profile is a set of steering parameters used by the AP70/AP80 system to improve the autopilot steering under different operational conditions. This gives high steering performance very quickly when the operational conditions change, compared to waiting for the autopilot adaption process. The AP70/AP80 has a set of predefined work profiles. You can edit all predefined profiles, and you can add new profiles. There can be up to 6 work profiles defined in the system.
5. Select preferred vessel icon - Use one of the default vessel icons 6. Enable/disable the work profile - Only enabled profiles will be shown in the profile listing, activated by pressing the WORK key 7. Edit profile settings if required - The default parameters are copied from the profile you select when creating a new profile. These settings can be adjusted to match your preferred steering as described in the next paragraphs See also “Importing and exporting work profiles (AP80 only)” on page 32.
Auto trim When the vessel has a constant heading error due to external forces such as wind and current, the Auto trim function corrects for this by building up a constant rudder offset. The Auto trim value is reset every time the AUTO mode is entered or when a course change greater than approximately 20° is made. Auto trim is automatically disabled during a turn. • Range: 10 - 800 sec • Default: Depends on the vessel length Off heading limit Sets the limit for the off heading alarm.
- Midships moves the rudder to zero position. - Actual maintains the rudder offset, and use this as trim value (bumpless transfer) Note: Actual is only available with rudder feedback signal available. • Default: Midships Rudder limit Determines the maximum rudder movement in degrees from the “used” midship position that the autopilot can command the rudder in the automatic modes. “Used” midship position is the rudder angle required to maintain a straight course.
Edit a profile You can edit profile name, icon and settings for all profiles, also for the Normal profile. Note: It is not recommended to change any of the auto steering parameters in the Normal profile after the vessel is commissioned. 1. Press the WORK key to display all work profiles 2. Turn the rotary knob to select the edit icon on the work profile you want to change 3.
Import 1. Select Add in the work profile dialog to create a new profile 1. Select Load Profile from disk - The Files dialog will be displayed 2. Locate the file on the USB stick Note: The work profile files have .wpf extension! 3. Press the LEFT key or the rotary knob to access the file details 4. Select Import 5. Confirm your selection 6. Save the new work profile 7.
6 The alarm system The AP70/AP80 system will continuously check for dangerous situations and system faults while the system is running. Message types There are two type of messages: • Alarms - Generated when conditions are detected that critically effect the capability or performance of the system. You must critically examine all alarm messages to determine their course and effect.
The Alarm dialog All new alarms and warnings activates the alarm dialog. The dialog will be closed when the message is acknowledged. If more than one message is activate, this will be indicated in the alarm dialog. Only the cause for the most recent message will be displayed. The remaining messages are available in the Alarms listing as described on page 35. Single active alarm Multiple active alarms Acknowledging a message There is no time-out on the alarm message or siren.
Setting the alarm and warning limits 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The alarms and warning limits are adjusted from the settings display. Activate the alarm settings dialog as shown above Select the parameter to be changed Press the rotary knob to edit the value Change the value by using the rotary knob or the arrow keys Repress the rotary knob to confirm your setting Only a few alarms can be turned off. These are indicated with a check box, and are turned on/ off by pressing the rotary knob.
Magnetic variation missing If heading source is set to be adjusted for magnetic variation, variation is taken from available sensors in following order: Position source – Navigation source – Compass – any other variation available on CAN bus. If variation disappears, last valid variation will be used until automatic steering is cancelled and heading shown will then be corrected according to alternative variation in the order given above.
Alarm/Warning Red flashing AP70/ AP80 power button, black display Active control unit missing Autopilot computer missing Type Warning/Alarm condition Possible cause and recommended action A <5V Local supply voltage to AP70/AP80 missing or <5 V. Check local supply, connections and fuses to AP70/AP80 control units A Autopilot computer has lost contact with active control unit Active control unit goes silent. 1. Check/repair CAN bus cable 2.
Alarm/Warning Drive not available Drive reference voltage missing Drive unit failure End of route Type Warning/Alarm condition Possible cause and recommended action No drive available response upon request from autopilot on Handshake port of faulty SD80/AD80 board Check that steering gear/thruster is set for autopilot control. Check cabling to Handshake port of faulty SD80/AD80 board.
Alarm/Warning Navigation data missing New WP No rudder response Off heading Override Position data missing Rudder data missing Rudder limit Type Warning/Alarm condition Possible cause and recommended action Lost sensor data (NAV mode) Navigation data from Plotter/ECS is missing. 1. Check Device list for valid navigation source 2. Try a new automatic source update 3. Check the Plotter/ECS and cable connections Ref.
Alarm/Warning Type Warning/Alarm condition W AC70: Motor/sol current > 30 A SD80: Sol current >8 A A AC70: Mot/sol current > 55 A SD80: Sol current > 9 A Drive overload Steering compass missing A Lost sensor data Possible cause and recommended action Reversible motor Motor stalls or is overloaded 4. Fix possible mechanical blocking of rudder. 5. If heavy sea at high rudder angle, try to reduce boat speed or rudder angle by steering at another heading 6.
7 Maintenance Preventive maintenance The AP70/AP80 control units do not contain any field serviceable components, therefore the operator is required to perform only a very limited amount of preventative maintenance. To prevent UV damage to the plastic bezel and rubber keys, it is recommended that the sun cover (option) be fitted when the unit is not in use for an extended period.
Software upgrades The latest software for the AP70/AP80 will be available for download from our web sites: pro.simrad-yachting.com and www.simrad-yachting.com. Detailed instructions for how to install the software will follow the upgrade files. Backing up your system data It is recommended to copy the user settings files after the system has been commissioned. This should also be done as part of your back-up routine. See the next section describing how to manage files in the autopilot control units.
8 Menu overview The Quick menus The Quick menus are mode dependant, displayed by pressing the MENU key. The menus containing the most common used settings for the active mode. Each Quick menu have access to the Settings menus. The Quick menus are described in the “The operational modes” on page 17. Quick menu in Manual modes From the Quick menu for STBY, NFU and FU you can change sources used for steering, you can display active alarms and set manual speed.
NoDrift and NAV mode LEVEL 1 Track resp (Adj.) Rudder (Adj.) Ctr.rudder (Adj.) Speed (Adj.) Settings (Settings dialog/menus) The settings dialog and submenus The system is configured and most system settings defined during installation and commissioning of the system. All system configuration and Installation setup is described in the separate AP70/AP80 Installation manual. The settings parameters are logically grouped, and each group is presented with an icon in the Settings dialog.
System User settings that have not any affect on autopilot performance. Advanced system settings Work profiles Used for creating and managing the vessel’s work profiles. Described in “Work profile setup” on page 30. Alarms Alarm listings and settings. Described in “The Alarm dialog” on page 35. Units Units of measure used on display, in dialogs and menus. Network List of devices connected to the CAN bus network. Used for setup, diagnostics and configuration. See “System configuration” on page 47.
9 System configuration General When the autopilot installation is completed, the system must be configured and the commissioning procedures performed. Failure in setting up the autopilot correctly may prohibit the autopilot from functioning properly. The settings dialog and submenus The system configuration settings are logically grouped in the Settings dialog, and each group is presented with an icon.
Network settings Setup and selection of sources are done from the Network menu. Selecting data sources A data source can be a sensor or a device connected to the network, providing data to other devices. Data can be of different type such as compass data, apparent wind data, calculated wind data, depth data, etc.
Device list From the device list you can: - list all of the active SimNet and NMEA 2000 devices on the network, showing model description and serial number.
Option Description Bus State Indicates if network backbone is operating. Check power: Check termination Rx Overflows Rx Overruns Rx Errors Tx Errors Fast packet Errors: Rx Messages Tx Messages Bus Load Value greater than 0 could indicate the software is very busy and unable to keep up with incoming messages. CAN interface error counters. Count up when there are errors on the CAN bus, and down when things are ok. Should normally be 0. Goes bus off when 255 is reached.
Master systems The international standard for heading control systems (ISO 11674/ISO 16329) requires controlled command transfer when remote stations are provided. The delegation of control to the remote station and the return of control shall be incorporated in the autopilot system, and shall avoid unintended operation from a remote station. To fulfill this requirement the AP70/AP80 system includes a Master function.
Damping Controls how quickly the display updates values from sensors. Increasing the damping applies more averaging or smoothing of the data update rate on the display. Damping settings are applied to SimNet units belonging to particular damping SimNet Groups. Note: If the damping factor for heading is high, the captured heading might differ from the heading read on the display when using the heading capture function.
The following symbols are used to illustrate drive type: Tunnel thruster Azimuth Voith Schneider Rudder WaterJet The figure shows a completed commissioning for a vessel with one rudder driven by an SD80 board, one solenoid operated tunnel thruster and one analog tunnel thruster operated by two different AD80 boards. Configuring the drive system The drive system configuration is accessed from the drive system configuration dialog. 1.
3. Select the Configure option to proceed to device configuration dialog. The dialog differs slightly for the different drive types 4. Select relevant settings for the selected drive, and save your settings Configuring the handshake Handshake settings 54 | Handshake setting Function Description HS fixed Autopilot/steering gear interface with fixed level signals Output contact is closed when autopilot requests steering gear control.
Handshake setting Function Description Override Dodge Manual override with fallback to AUTO When input contact is closed, autopilot will give override warning, acknowledge with closed output contact and go to STBY mode. When input opens, output contact will open and autopilot returns to AUTO mode on present heading. Typically used for joystick hand steering with override button on top.
Rudder feedback/tunnel thruster feedback calibration If a rudder or thruster feedback is available, this must be calibrated. This is required for the autopilot to know signal for mid-position, port/starboard side and rudder movement range. Note: The graphics below shows the dialog when the rudder is controlled by an SD80. The configuration dialog varies with drive device and drive type. 1. Select feedback calibration option in the device configuration dialog 2.
Boat length The boat length affects the steering parameters. • Rang: 5 - 500 (m) Cruising speed The cruising speed is used if no speed info is available, and if manual speed is set to Auto. It is also used by the autopilot system to calculate steering parameters. • Rang: 2 - 50 (kn) • Default: 15 (kn) Transition speed Note: Only available if the boat type is set to planing. The transition speed is the speed at which the system automatically changes from LOW to HIGH work profile.
Note: The Thruster inhibit limit will only apply when speed source is Log or SOG, not if the speed is set manually. • Rang: 1 - 40 (kn) • Default: 6 (kn) Low speed limit Sets the limit for the low vessel speed alarm. An alarm occurs when the vessel’s speed goes below the selected limit. • Range: 1 - 20 (kn) • Default: 1 (kn) Init rudder Defines how the system moves the rudder when switching from power steering to an automatic mode: - Midships moves the rudder to zero position.
Compass mounting offset The difference between the compass lubber line and the boat’s center line should be compensated for. 1. Find the bearing from the boat position to a visible object. Use a chart or a chart plotter 2. Steer the boat so that the center line of the boat is aligned with the bearing line pointing towards the object 3. Activate the device configuration dialog as shown below - Ensure that the active compass is selected 4.
Tuning the autopilot for optimum steering performance Providing you have entered correct vessel type, length and cruising speed, you may not have to perform further manual- or automatic tuning. Refer “Vessel configuration” on page 56. Notes: • If steering compass is magnetic type, perform any autopilot tuning steering East or West, as this will yield the best-balanced parameters • The speed during tuning should be as close as possible to cruising speed.
Manual tuning 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Stabilize the vessel on a heading, and then select AUTO mode Set the speed as close to cruising speed as possible Activate the Quick menu by pressing the MENU key Select Rudder and adjust according to the description below If required, adjust slightly Counter rudder Rudder This parameter determines the ratio between commanded rudder and the heading error. The higher rudder value the more rudder is applied. A. The the value is set too high.
10 62 | List of display abbreviations The following tables holds a list of abbreviations used in the autopilot display. For further information see “The operational modes” on page 18.
N2584 *988-10198-002*
